AI SEO for roofers helps roofing companies appear in answers from large language models (LLMs) like those that power Google AI Overviews, Claude, Grok, Perplexity, and ChatGPT.
Although some reports show that Google search is still 373x larger than ChatGPT search, our own research and other reports from around the globe reveal that consumer search behavior has meaningfully shifted for the first time in decades.
More people are relying on AI models like ChatGPT to find answers to questions, including about the best local roofing companies.
I’m Nolen Walker, the founder of Roofing Webmasters. For over ten years, I’ve been helping roofers rank on search engines like Google and Bing.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly common among Americans, ensuring your roofing business is part of this new information medium is crucial for maintaining or improving your online visibility in 2025.
I will help you optimize for the following AI platforms:
- Google AI Overviews
- Google AI Mode
- Google Gemini
- ChatGPT
- Perplexity
- Claude
- Grok
- Meta AI
The following guide outlines how roofing companies should expand their SEO strategy to account for AI, LLMs, and increasingly popular tools like Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and ChatGPT.
Key Takeaway
While some aspects of traditional SEO for roofers overlap with AI SEO (sometimes called LLMO or GEO), our research has found that additional steps should be taken to maximize AI visibility.
What is AI SEO for Roofers?
AI SEO for roofers is the optimization of web content for artificial intelligence tools and large language models (LLMs).
The goal of AI SEO is for your roofing company to appear in AI-generated answers from these various tools and models, resulting in greater awareness, visibility, and engagement.
What Makes Artificial Intelligence Search Optimization Unique?
AI SEO differs from traditional SEO in that it targets answers from large language models and AI tools, rather than conventional search engine results.
Optimizing for AI answers requires an additional set of tasks because LLMs generate their answers in various ways, ranging from internal training data to browsing web listicles.
Furthermore, unlike static search results that display uniform rankings, AI models provide unique answers to each query or prompt.
AI SEO Examples for Local Roofing Companies
With proper artificial intelligence search optimization, roofing companies can appear directly in Google AI overviews for roofing-related search queries.
Check out the example below where a local roofer appears in an AI overview for consumers seeking a TruDef Duration roofing system in their service area.
Google AI Overviews
In a separate example, we see a different local roofing company appearing in the response from Perplexity’s LLM-generated answer.
Perplexity AI
source: Perplexity
Below, you can see Google AI Mode recommending a local roofing company that provides mechanical lock metal roofing services.
Google AI Mode
In the next example, you’ll notice Grok recommending a silicone roofing contractor in a specific city.
Grok
source: Grok
Below, you can see a local roofing company being mentioned within the Google Gemini interface, which is separate from AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Gemini
The next example showcases Anthropic Claude generating a local roofing company within its answer about a specific type of shingle installation.
Claude
Next, you can see ChatGPT recommending a local roofing company as its “top recommended contractor” based on a specific recent project demonstrated on the roofing company’s website.
ChatGPT
Finally, you can see Meta AI suggest a local roofer for a specific query and outline the company’s services and contact information.
Meta AI
Using AI-targeted optimization, your local roofing company can also appear in these types of AI answers.
Optimizing for Artificial Intelligence Training Data
In a recent study by Rand Fishkin of SparkToro, he describes brand mentions across training data as the critical factor for showing up in AI and LLM answers.
Simply put, you must ensure your roofing company is included in this training data.
AI Training Data Explained for Roofers
LLMs are trained primarily using internet data, such as web pages, articles, lists, and directories.
As a result, your roofing company’s website and listings on major directories may be used as training data.
Maximizing Training Data Mentions
The first step to being included in training data is to make sure your website is crawlable by AI crawler bots like GPTBot and ClaudeBot.
Depending on your DNS settings and firewall, your site may be automatically blocking AI bots, which would prevent your site from being used for training data.
One way to check this is by performing a log file analysis of your website, something you can outsource to a credible roofing marketing agency.
Assuming AI bots are crawling your site, your traditional SEO efforts serve as a foundation for training data.
For example, having an official company website, a Google Business Profile, and listings on other directories like Yelp and BBB all contribute to your chances of appearing in AI-generated answers.
However, you’ll want to take this a step further to maximize your LLM visibility. Using a tool called DataPins, which I invested millions in developing, you can showcase recent roofing jobs directly on your website with descriptive job captions.
This way, AI platforms like Google Gemini, Claude, Grok, Perplexity, and ChatGPT can be trained on your specific jobs rather than just traditional web content.
Optimizing for AI Web Browsing Results
Most popular LLMs integrate web browsing into their platform, whether in the free version (Perplexity, Grok, etc.) or the paid version (ChatGPT Plus).
In either case, the present and future of AI search is rooted more in web accessibility than training data.
Even websites whose content was not used for ChatGPT training data can be cited, mentioned, and recommended by ChatGPT after it browses the web.
In this sense, AI search becomes more similar to traditional SEO (though its answers are still unique).
Writing AI-Friendly Content
Most SEO guides have outlined the importance of natural language processing for Google optimization, but using concise and direct language is even more important when optimizing for AI search.
To make it easy for LLMs to mention your web content within their answers, you provide them with language that matches common user queries and summarize it in a direct, concise manner.
Listcale Mentions
Many of the popular AI platforms (notably Google AI Mode and ChatGPT) are directly citing lists when providing answers about the best roofing companies in a specific city or region.
You’ve probably seen lists on Google search results titled “10 best roofers in Dallas, TX” and other cities, and those are the types of lists AI is currently citing when “ranking” roofers.
Company Reviews
It’s also evident that AI platforms are pulling from your customer reviews on platforms such as Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Facebook.
Google’s AI Mode will directly cite Google Business Profiles while ChatGPT may cite Yelp and Facebook reviews.
AI SEO Tools for Roofers
Specific tools exist to help roofers appear in LLM answers from AI platforms. I invested millions to develop one of these tools for my agency.
All of my Roofing Webmasters clients are currently using this tool as part of their digital marketing campaign.
In addition to my agency’s in-house tool, additional third-party tools can help roofing contractors with LLM optimization.
DataPins
DataPins is my agency’s in-house tool that helps roofing companies rank in Google AI Overviews and other LLM-generated answers.
The tool’s capabilities expand beyond AI as it helps roofers rank in Google’s Map 3-Pack along with traditional search results, in addition to the AI Overviews.
All my Roofing Webmasters clients receive DataPins as part of their monthly marketing service.
ChatGPT
Consumers might use ChatGPT to search for local roofers, but local roofers can use it to optimize for LLMs.
After all, GPT – ChatGPT’s large language model knows how to optimize models like itself.
Check out this prompt that helps local contractors outline their web content for artificial intelligence search optimization.
SparkToro
SparkToro helps local roofing companies find the types of platforms that their target customers are consuming.
Having your company mentioned on these platforms increases your likelihood of being included in trending data that powers AI answers.
These mentions have a similar impact on LLM answers that backlinks have on traditional search algorithms on Google and Bing.
The Future of AI Search for Roofers
Google still owns the majority of the search engine market share, and AI overviews became available to all users on May 14, 2024.
Because the most used search engine now delivers AI-generated answers, optimizing for LLMs should become part of every roofing company’s digital marketing strategy.
In addition to this increased priority, roofers should anticipate new ways of searching that will emerge in the coming months and years.
Google AI Mode
Google AI Mode is now live for all U.S.-based users, signaling Google’s transition from a traditional search engine to a hybrid AI search experience.
While AI Overviews exist within the traditional organic results, AI mode is an entirely separate interface that allows users to refine prompts and ask follow-up questions, similar to ChatGPT.
Our research has also shown that Google AI Mode tends to cite different citations in AI Mode than in AI Overviews.
SearchGPT
While some users already seek answers from ChatGPT, its parent company, OpenAI, is currently developing a full-fledged search engine that may potentially change the online search landscape.
SearchGPT is currently a prototype of a new kind of search engine that combines AI technology with live web results to provide real-time answers to online consumers.
Although SearchGPT is not yet available to the general public, local roofers should be aware of its development.
Perplexity AI
Perplexity is one of the most popular AI search engines currently available to the public.
While its usage is not remotely comparable to Google or even Bing, it does reveal the potential future of online search with the makeup of its platform.
One of Perplexity’s strengths is providing sources for research-based search queries.
It uses an LLM to deliver relevant answers based on online sources like websites, offering a glimpse into future search engines’ operations.
Moving Forward With AI SEO for Roofers
AI’s impact on search engines has already begun with Google’s AI Overviews and will continue to expand in 2025.
Roofing companies that have already invested in traditional SEO practices should expand their strategy to target AI platforms and large language models (LLMs).
For over a decade, my agency, Roofing Webmasters, has assisted thousands of roofers in navigating the evolving landscape of digital marketing.
My goal is to help your local roofing company thrive in the age of AI search and LLMs with my innovative software tool, DataPins, and other cutting-edge strategies.
To further discuss AI search and its impact on your roofing business, call my personal cell phone at (800) 353-5758.
